Chap: Life processes

Important notes

All the processes such as respiration, nutrition, circulation, excretion etc. that are necessary for
the survival of the living organisms are known as life processes. These basic functions
performed by living organisms for their survival and body maintenance are called life processes.
They are needed constantly to carry out the functions of maintenance and repair in living
organisms
Some Examples- Digestion, Respiration, Circulation etc.
Nutrition
 Process by which organism takes food/ nutrients from the environment and then utilizes it is
called nutrition.
Modes of Nutrition
The two most common type of nutrition are autotrophic nutrition and heterotrophic nutrition.
Autotrophic :-Kind of nutrition in which organisms can synthesize their own food Eg. Green
Plants
Heterotrophic:- Kind of nutrition of which organisms do not possess the ability to synthesize
their own food. They depend on autotrophs for their food supply directly or indirectly. Eg.
Animals, Fungi
Heterotrophic nutrition is of three types:
In this mode of nutrition, an organism is unable to synthesize its own food.
Some organism feed on dead and decaying organic matter. This mode of nutrition is called
saprophytic nutrition. The food is partially digested outside the body and then it is absorbed. E.g.
Fungi are saprophytes.
Some organisms feed on the expense of another organism and in turn causing it harm. This is
called parasitic mode of nutrition. These organisms live on the body or in the body of a host
organism and derive the nutrients directly from the body of the host. E.g. Leech is an
ectoparasite while Ascaris(Roundworm) is an endoparasite. Cuscuta is a parasitic plant.

Autotrophic Nutrition
It is a type of nutrition in which inorganic materials such as carbon-dioxide, is used up to
synthesize organic food by a process known as photosynthesis. For example, green plants use
autotrophic mode of nutrition. Organisms which uses autotrophic mode of nutrition are known as
autotrophs.
Photosynthesis : The process by which green plants make their own food with the help of CO2
and H2O in the presence of chlorophyll and sunlight is also called photosynthesis.
Raw Materials for Photosynthesis : CO2 and H2O
Site of Photosynthesis : Chloroplast in the leaf. Chloroplast contain chlorophyll (green pigment)
that traps sunlight for photosynthesis.

Section of leaf

Steps/ events of the photosynthesis are as follows-

• Absorption of light by chlorophyll.
• Conversion of light energy into chemical energy.
• Splitting of water into hydrogen and oxygen.
• Finally, reduction of carbon-dioxide into carbohydrates.
Equation for photosynthesis is :

Leaves contain small openings known as stomata which helps in exchange of gases.
Stomata/stoma is surrounded by guard cell which guards the opening and closing of stomata.
Guard cells also contain chloroplast. When guard cells take water from surrounding cells, they
swell ( cells become turgid) that results in opening of stomata and when they lose water, stomata
closes.